Engine Degreasing -- how to?

[Bradley Miller]

I'm wanting to blast the gunk off an old engine (still in car) but I'm concerned on where/what/how will be done with what I'm trying to do in the driveway. What should I do to minimize any impact on my lawn/environment/etc... ? ?

 

[tubeman]

Try Simple Green first and use a stiff brush and hot water if you can. Gunk works real well but the run-off is nasty...

 

[MXtras]

I use Castrol Super Clean - the grass in the area that I do this most frequently is greener than the rest. I think the grass actually likes it!

The gunk stuff is basically kerosene and is very oily. Grass doesn't like it and it doesn't work as well as super clean.

Use caution with the Super Clean - it can tarnish aluminum and streak your paint - you have to use caution when using it full strength but it's the best stuff I have found for tough cleaning jobs.

As far as minimizing the impact to the yard? - I think that's a tough one. I would suggest going to a car wash to get the biggest stuff off then bring the thing home to do the final cleaning. If you do the cleaning in the driveway with a friendly cleaner, there may be oily stuff in the grass or whatever, but I have never had a problem with the oil killing the grass - I think it's more the cleaner that does the damage.

Scott

 

[Tim240Z]

I usually put 2-3 pans under the engine (the black concrete mixing ones from HD work pretty nicely). They will catch 90% of the fallout. I will use a degreaser (like Simple Green etc) and spray that on in concentrated form, let it soak for 15 minutes, then reapply and leave for another 15 minutes. Then I will use a diluted mixture in a pump sprayer to get some pressure to the nooks and crannies. Then I will top it off with hot water out of the hose.
As for the pans that now have oil water, I let them sit for a few hours. The oil will migrate to the top. Skim it off with some rags and dump the water. throw the rags in the trash, or wash and reuse. Or you can go to the car wash as they have water/oil seperators.

 

[kartracer55]

Use gunk engine brite, do it in the street because it can stain your driveway. They say to collect all fluid in a basin but I dont think too many people do that. it smells, but It cuts grease pretty well. The orange stuff is like 1$ more a can but is a bit more pleasant

Jim

 

[iiibdsiil]

Spray some simple green on there, scrub the motor, then hose it off. Do it in the grass or street.

 

[TER]

I've had good luck with Simple Green, a long handled scrub brush, and low pressure water hose (no high pressure, AMHIK).

 

[Bradley Miller]

I'm wanting to use it on my old buick which has aluminum block -- will any of these products cause any harm if I rinse things off?

 

[iiibdsiil]

Just make sure the motor is cold when you do it, and you will be fine.

 

[TER]

I'm wanting to use it on my old buick which has aluminum block -- will any of these products cause any harm if I rinse things off?

Here is what Simple Green says; this was also my experience with aluminum -- some oxidation (but very clean).

Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green on aluminum?

Simple Green products have been successfully and safely used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: Aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green or Crystal Simple Green can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times of All-Purpose Simple Green and Crystal Simple Green with unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes.

Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green/Crystal Simple Green residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I have had good results with Gunk spray, but you want the engine brought up to normal operating temp, then spray it on while the engine is running. Avoid the distributor, and if possible do it at the carwash. At least that is what I used to do and I always got great results. If you do this take along a can of WD-40 in case you get the distributor wet.

 

[dboat]

I have had good luck with the Orange stuff.. its environmentally friendly and smells good too..
Dana

 

[jfelbab]

You might want to consider covering all electronics including the alternator with baggies and do stuff the air cleaner openings. I like Orange Blast or other citrus based degreasers. I wet the area under the vehicle and then apply and brush with a medium bristle brush. I warm the engine first to aid in drying. Not hot but warm. After a few minutes spray the solution off and then I use some shop rags to wipe away any pockets of standing water. I use my compressor with an air nozzle to blow away any remaining water. Remove the baggies and let the vehicle air dry with the hood open for a half hour then restart and get it hot. Be careful not to get the electrical components wet. Probably a good idea to wear goggles too. Once dry I spray CD/2 Engine Detailer on all the hoses and plastic. This is an acrylic product that dries hard and doesn't attract dust like an oily silicone product.

Here is my latest engine cleaning. A 1991 Toyota MR2 whose engine had not been cleaned for 10 years.

 

[tubeman]

Very nice job on the MR2! I love an engine bay that looks like that! Not only is it nice to look at but it makes it easy to find leaks, etc. That is probably one of the best things you can do to maintain the value of the vehicle. Nice job!

 

[d.mcfarland]

McKee's engine degreaser available on autogeek.net

 

[PCMusicGuy]

I would find a way to use the Gunk. I've tried Simple Green, Super Clean, and a few others and nothing has worked as well as the Gunk stuff on my aluminum LS2. I am fortunate to have a driveway with lots of rocks to do it over.

 

[MilwaukeeFish]

Post #14 dated 5-4-2006
Post #15 dated today [8-10-2017]

11 years, 3 months, 7 days between posts. Post #15 links to an offsite review/affiliate page....

Smells like a shill/spammer to me.

[edit: Spammer's original post 15 is gone. Post 15 is now completely kosher ]

--

 

[turnthewrench]

11 years, 3 months, 7 days between posts...

Smells like a shill/spammer to me.

--

218 years, 2 months, 16 days

That's the time between Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica and Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper which, according to you, makes Einstein a shill necrofuck spammer as well...

Can you cut the guy some slack? What if it took 11 years, 3 months, 7 days to find a better degreaser?

 

[rsanter]

Pressure washer.
Knock the majority of the stuff off with that.
You can then use degreaser on the spots that are still oily or gunked up.
Then hit it with the pressure washer again

Bob

 

[Gittgo]

Take it to a big truck or heavy equipment dealer and get them to do it. You're wasting your time and your money. These dudes do it all day every day.

 

[JohnDeere1]

Just go to a car wash with a can if enginebrite it works better than anything out there just spray on and spray off it works wonders I use to do it by just dumping bowls of hot water on the engine after using the enginebrite some light scrubbing maybe needed that way or both ways depending on how ba it is.

 

[MilwaukeeFish]

218 years, 2 months, 16 days

That's the time between Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica and Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper which, according to you, makes Einstein a shill necrofuck spammer as well...

Can you cut the guy some slack? What if it took 11 years, 3 months, 7 days to find a better degreaser?

Nope I will not cut the guy some slack. He registered today. Posted twice as of the time of my first post in this thread, and both posts were to shill for an affiliate purchasing page.

Furthermore: I don't see how the works of Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein can be compared to someone posting about degreasers on an internet forum. Newton/Einsten and an internet forum posting are about as far apart in terms of importance as one can get.

What it does seem to read like is a set-up for the ad hominem attack you lobbed at me, in which you poorly attempted to put words into my mouth.....Nice try.

If you wanna take shots at people around here, you need to up your game. Plus you'll have to get by Ryan first.

--

 

[ChrisLS8]

Nothing works better in my opinion than the yellow bottles of LAs Totally Awesome Cleaner at dollar stores. Then I use a mini pressure washer attachment that plugs into my compressor

 

[ddawg16]

Excuse the different mind set...

But.....

I don't let mine get like that in the first place.

I'm not ****....but, oil leaks are not allowed. I like to offroad and leaving oil on the trail is NOT cool.

So....My engines don't leak oil. And I don't let them get dirty.

And I use Simple green now and then....

 

[JJ13]

218 years, 2 months, 16 days

That's the time between Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica and Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper which, according to you, makes Einstein a shill necrofuck spammer as well...

Can you cut the guy some slack? What if it took 11 years, 3 months, 7 days to find a better degreaser?

I agree that it looks like a spammer. If you check their only two posts, you'll see they are BOTH the same exact link in two separate degreaser threads.